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Learner Reviews & Feedback for The Truth About Cats and Dogs by The University of Edinburgh

4.8
stars
2,263 ratings

About the Course

What is your cat revealing to you when she purrs? What is your dog expressing when he yawns or wags his tail? Understanding your cat and dog’s behaviour and the way they communicate with you, will enable you to better understand their needs and strengthen your relationship with them. This MOOC is divided into five topics, the appliance of science; behaviour and body language, senses and perception; challenges for the human-animal relationship, including pet problem behaviour; and how to improve the quality of life for cats and dogs in our care. At the start of the course we ask you to consider what you feel is important to your cat/dog and what your cat/dog means to you? We explore the world of cats and dogs and how our relationships with them vary around the world and have changed over time. We ask if we can really know what our animals are thinking or trying to communicate through their facial expressions and behaviours. From our beloved pets to street dogs, shelter dogs/cats and welfare challenges, we explore the world from their perspective and examine how their genetic make-up may influence their behavioural responses and choices. We dispel common behavioural myths by looking through a scientific lens, asking questions about the function and development of their behaviour.. We explore how their senses help them to interact with their world and how they communicate with each other and us! Finally, we ask whether we impose unrealistic expectations on our cats and dogs and how this affects their ability to live alongside us. We ask, what can we do to be more responsible pet owners and to ensure the welfare of all cats and dogs in society? This MOOC explores different scientifically validated methods that can help you to better understand your pet, to enrich their lives and help you to be a more educated and confident pet owner. We hope you enjoy the course!...

Top reviews

AA

Jun 23, 2021

It gives you the basics about owning a pet and what you need to know for their welfare.

I don't see a need for certification for this course.

Recommended for general knowledge and resources

LR

Mar 26, 2020

I learned so much about how to decrease stress for my pets and increase their happiness. I also learned how to better communicate with them. Thank you for helping improve my pets quality of life!

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26 - 50 of 636 Reviews for The Truth About Cats and Dogs

By sherry v

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Jun 17, 2020

I've always loved cats and dogs and have been active in dog rescue for years. I have learned so much that just isn't available elsewhere. The instructors are so knowledgeable and offered real, useful ways to improve the lives of animals. We have 2 senior cats who we have had for over 15 years. I have sought advice from vets countless times for behavioural issues- and never received any useful advice. I immediately applied the advice from the course and have seen a great difference in both cats. My sincere thanks for offering such a great course.

By Jade B

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Feb 1, 2020

Great insight into cats and dogs and the care required for them. Love the videos and interactivity. Really enjoyable course. The title doesn't really do it justice really! Would be great to have a course just for the care of dogs which people who are considering getting a dog could take (cover puppies/dogs and rescue dogs). Just the basics and resources for what is actually required for a dog- rather than just running out and getting a puppy because they are cute! "Becoming a dog owner or becoming a better dog owner" Same for cats.

By Rozana T

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Mar 31, 2020

This course was very interesting, it gave me an opportunity to learn new things about dogs, which I did not know so much about & see the professionals' view on cats & compare it with my own knowledge & observations. I appreciated the instructors' genuine caring for both species' welfare. I also learned about the organizations, resources & laws governing animal protection in the UK & Scotland. Last but not least I am now most motivated to further study & pursue a more formal academic degree on the subject.

By Rachelle A L

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Apr 21, 2021

Great course! I have been a pet owner since I was young, and these days, I am into watching videos of animal welfare and behavior training, so this course greatly helped me understand more specifically about dogs, as I have more pet dogs at home. Anyone who would want to understand more about their pets or cats and dogs in general will understand how you can better provide your pets basic needs, which will help make your pets have a better and long life with you as an owner.

By ADV. S S

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Jun 20, 2018

THIS COURSE IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE BEHAVIOR OF CATS AND DOG . I DONT HAVE ANY CAT AND DOG YET BUT I TAKE THIS COURSE BECAUSE I LOVE THEM AND NOW I CAME TO KNOW LOTS ABOUT THEM . SO WHEN I TAKE THEM HOME THIS KNOWLEDGE WILL BE VERY HELPFUL. FOR ME.I WAS BITTEN BY A DOG 6 TO 8 YEARS BEFORE THEN I AFRAID FROM THEM BUT NOW I LOVE THEN.SO VERY THANKS TO EDX AND THE UNIVERSITY FOR SUCH A COURSE COME AGAIN WITH SOMETHING NEW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH ONCE AGAIN.

By Sonya L S

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Apr 19, 2021

This was a great refresher course for me as I have been a pet owner for most of my life and have 4 cats and 1 dog at present. I knew a lot of the things the course went over but also learn some valuable information to help make things better for my animals. I enjoyed the course so much and have put into practice some of the things I learned. I am seeing a difference in the personal habits of my pets because of these changes. Happier pets and a calmer house.

By Samantha M

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Feb 25, 2019

This course is especially helpful to anyone who is new to pet ownership, or even those who think they are experienced. It is full of the most up to date info on Cat and Dog behaviour and how we can help them live a good life with us. Although we love them, we might not always realize that what we are doing is perhaps not the best for them and could be done better - this course will make you think about this and find ways to improve their life with you.

By Linda M

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Jun 13, 2018

I learned some really interesting things about the way cats and dogs see their world. I have a difficult dog so I have spent quite a bit of time learning how to handle her and much of the information here was familiar to me. But, the information about cats was almost entirely new to me. I have been telling everyone I know who has a cat all about it. !!! Loved the course, people teaching it seemed so kind and focused on the well being of our pets.

By Annida N

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May 20, 2022

The course material is light. I read and watch the course without taking any notes, lol. But the way they deliver the information is really easy to imagine and understand. My expectation in enrolling this course is to seek information to help my pets happy, health and safe. And this course totally provides more than my expectation. Especially about reinforcing my pets behavior which I didn't have any clue before. Thank you very much!

By katherine l

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Apr 18, 2022

I thoroughly enjoyed this course. The lectures were filled with information and helped build a new appreciation and understanding of Cats and Dogs. The resources pages allowed for further exploration of topics of interest. The quizes were fun and the ask the expert videos helped shine some light on what others taking the course were interested in learning more about.

Looking forward to my next course from this University.

By Katherine A C

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Sep 5, 2020

Me parece un curso muy interesante, logre reforzar ciertos contenidos de mi carrera y sirve para que las personas con mascotas puedan adquirir nuevos conocimientos acerca de como asegurar el bienestar de sus animales en casa y asegurar su máximo cuidado y felicidad!!. Disfrute mucho la forma en la que este curso te entrega toda esta información a través de conferencias y textos para complementar.

By natalie p

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Mar 18, 2024

It is a great course. Especially if you are thinking about getting a new pet, or already owning a pet it's massively helpful for us humans to recognize that our dear family members are not the same as us and that they have their own needs and requirements that we humans need to attend to. I will recommend this course to other people! On behalf of my sweet cat Ruby and me, thanks for everything!

By Aileen S

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Apr 5, 2020

A fantastic course which I thoroughly enjoyed. I learned so much more about my own cat and how to look after her welfare better and to understand her more. I would really recommend this course to any pet owner or even someone considering buying a cat or dog. The videos were excellent and helped to communicate the course information in a very good way. Thanks for letting me complete it!

By Yasmin C B

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Aug 14, 2020

Esse curso foi incrivelmente perfeito, irá me ajudar todos os dias a se tornar uma profissional veterinária melhor e me auxiliar a conduzir uma consulta veterinária segura e menos estressante aos meus animais, assim como promover melhor bem-estar e comunicação com os meus pets em casa, garantindo que tenham acesso aos melhores recursos para eles. Eu agradeço demais por essa oportunidade.

By Dhany K

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Jun 14, 2022

This course was truly fantastic if I have to say. Since I'm typically a dog person from an early age, I'm still able to know about cats that usually I don't really pay so much attention to their body signals. Dogs and cats each have their signature behavior, I guess it's worth the shot to study them even further to ensure their happiness and their mental wellbeing.

By pilar e

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Oct 30, 2020

Muchas gracias por compartir vuestros excelentes conocimientos y experiencias, he aprendido algunas cosas que pueden ser útiles para mi perra y que pueden ayudarnos a ser más felices. Entiendo que cada caso es diferente, pero tal vez he echado de menos algún consejo práctico más, aunque comprendo que no se puede generalizar. Muchas gracias y saludos cordiales.

By Lindsay B

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Sep 2, 2020

The content and delivery of this course is excellent.

Each video is concise and informative with very useful insights into dog and cat behaviour, stressing the importance of understanding each individual animal and their five welfare needs.

The educators in the videos are obviously passionate about all types of pets and animals, which also enhanced the course.

By Meng Z

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Jan 11, 2021

Fundamental knowledge about casts and dogs that everyone who wants to go near them should know. For (perspective) pet owners this is a great way to start with the research. The lessons are very systematic and the Q&As are very pragmatic. Minor inconvenience: it might not be user-friendly for non-English speakers since the Q&As are not subtitled.

By Jan M

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Jun 27, 2019

Great course. I feel a real achievement finishing the course. It was a very professional course. I learnt some key concepts and facts about cats and dogs. I recommend this course if you want to care for your pets better. Thanks to the teachers at University of Edinburgh. You've improved my knowledge and now the animals around me will be happier!

By Nayara N S

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Apr 27, 2020

It was a wonderful course with valuable information which will help on being a better pet owner. The information is straight to the point and extremely well-dosed to an online course of 5 weeks. I strongly recommend this course in case you are interested in checking what you already know about cats and dogs, besides adding new hands-on details.

By Louise A

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Jan 18, 2021

I am absolutely thrilled that I took this course. Even though at times it seemed a natural thing to do, there are many ways and circumstances in order to make our furry friends happy. I learned a whole lot about breeds and sicknesses, extremely interesting. As a cat and dog sitter I have gained valuable knowledge which I will put to good use.

By Joana F

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Apr 20, 2020

Thank you so much for all the time you've spend doing this course. It has been very interesting and also re-assuring for me on how to treat my pets in a right way. I would have loved to learn more about the interaction with cats at home, how to play with them or if clicker training works very well on them, how to motivate older cats for play.

By Jennifer H

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Mar 24, 2021

I am very pleased with the course. The instructors were very thorough given the time constraints. It reaffirmed some things I know and pointed out common misconceptions. I volunteer for a small animal rescue and will share this information with adopters so they and their new animals have a better life.

Thank you so much for this opportunity.

By ELENI P

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Feb 11, 2021

A very interesting lesson not only for professionals but also for all animal lovers who want to learn how to ensure the well-being of their pets and strays. A lesson that promotes love to every living being and humanity by extension. Congratulations to all educators. Thank you very much for the opportunity you gave me to attend your course!

By Chris L

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Aug 3, 2021

Very informative and engaging, with lots of examples and supporting data, clarified many myths. I gained very valuable and practical knowledge from this course. Hope that, one day, everything in this course will be a pre-requisite of being a pet owner and will become common sense.

Thank you very much for offering this course on Coursera!